September 13, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 12, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 12: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and the Punjab government are at odds over the reduction in discharges from water reservoirs as the river flows decline, creating a shortage for standing crops and sowing of Rabi crops next month.

According to sources, at a meeting on Friday Irsa authorities tried to persuade representatives of the Punjab government to reduce the province’s indent from Tarbela by 10,000 cusec, but the talks remained inconclusive.

It was, however, decided to take up the matter with the ministry of water and power to save Rabi crops.

The Irsa has informed the Punjab irrigation department that more than one million acre feet of water has been released from reservoirs. This is more than the targeted level and has stretched resources to a critical level.

Therefore, Punjab was requested to reduce its withdrawal from the Chashma-Jhelum Canal, which could be compensated by providing additional quantities from the Mangla reservoir.

The sources said the Punjab irrigation department had rejected Irsa’s request and taken a stand that the province would neither reduce its indent from the Indus system nor take extra quantities from Mangla because its resources had already depleted alarmingly.

Notwithstanding Punjab’s refusal to slash its indent, Irsa reduced discharges from Tarbela dam by 10,000 cusec, from 130,000 to 120,000 cusec, on Friday. It was, however, not clear how the reduction in releases would be adjusted in the provincial shares.

According to the sources, the Punjab government had accused the water regulator of making unnecessary releases from the Mangla dam and ignoring province’s earlier requests of filling the reservoir.

The sources said Irsa would refer the issue to the water and power ministry to ensure availability of adequate supplies for Rabi season.

The authority has already estimated a water shortfall of 35-40 per cent for Rabi season, compared to 23 per cent shortfall of last year.

The water level in two reservoirs has declined to a critical level in the recent weeks owing to a fall in temperatures in the Northern Areas and a withdrawal by the provinces that exceeds their shares.